Apple Releases Economic Impact Report on 'Spaceship Campus' - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Releases Economic Impact Report on 'Spaceship Campus'

Apple today released a 30+ page report [PDF] from real estate consultancy Keyser Marston Associates examining the direct and indirect financial impact of Apple on the City of Cupertino and Santa Clara County. The document is part of the building process for the company's new 'Apple Campus 2' -- the Spaceship -- planned for opening in 2016.

As the document is aimed at the municipal governments in the area, it is heavy on tax revenue and job numbers, but there are a few bits of information that are interesting to Apple watchers.

apple_campus_2_rendering
- Phase 1 of the the Apple Campus 2 building will accommodate some 13,000 employees across 2.8 million square feet of space in the main building. Other buildings on site will include an auditorium, fitness center, parking structures, buildings to house research and development and a central plant, for a total of 3.42 million square feet of new building space.

Phase 2 will add 300,000 more square feet of space, adding room for 1,200 more employees -- however this phase has been delayed indefinitely for cost-saving reasons.

- The analysis uses a conservative hiring growth rate of 10% per year, estimating that 7,400 employees will be hired at Apple's Cupertino headquarters between June 2013 and the opening of the new campus in 2016. This would tally a total employee count at 23,400, though over the past 5 years, Apple has seen an annual hiring growth rate of 18%.

- Apple's 16,000 current Cupertino employees account for 40 percent of the city's job base, making Apple Cupertino's largest single employer.

- Apple will pay $9.2 million in tax revenue directly to Cupertino in 2013, approximately 18% of the city's annual general fund budget. The consultants estimate that Apple will generate a net fiscal surplus of $8 million to the city this year, with that expected to grow to $11 million when the new campus is finished. This means Apple will pay millions of dollars more to the city than it uses in services.

- The construction of the new campus will generate 9,200 full-time jobs in the county over the three-year construction period, and will generate one-time revenues to the City of Cupertino in the form of construction taxes and fees totaling more than $38 million. The company has agreed to direct its contractors to purchase all construction materials from within the city, ensuring that Cupertino collects millions of dollars in sales taxes as a result.

- The report touts $66 million in public improvements to be built around the campus, including bicycle and pedestrian facilities, park land, and a voluntary $2.5 million contribution to Cupertino's affordable housing fund.

The full report, available from Apple's public relations page [PDF], includes dozens of pages of charts and tables to support the assertions. The new Spaceship Campus is not expected to have any significant opposition and has already received broad approval from the city.

Popular Stories

apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
silver iphone 18 pro

Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year

Friday November 6, 2026 6:07 am PST by
Apple plans to merge the iPhone's Action button with the Camera Control starting next year, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker claimed that a single press of the combined button would open the camera, while a long press would trigger the function assigned to the Action button. They explicitly clarified that the dedicated Action button would ...

Top Rated Comments

jfx94 Avatar
175 months ago
Amazing how much the local and state government benefits from the taxes on this, yet provides very few services in return.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
Hate apple. just a money sucking corporation now(maybe always was). For sure, Tim Cook is a dick.

You must really hate Apple to come onto an Apple-specific forum, register, and post not one, but multiple negative comments on an article that outlines how Apple is benefitting the local economy with tons of jobs for Americans and millions in tax revenue for the city of Cupertino.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
I don't really understand the design of this building. It just seems like form over function. How does Joe from Hardware Design at the bottom get over to Melissa in the Art department at the top without walking around that gigantic circle? You'd think there would be spokes on that wheel, or a monorail or something. It just seems very inefficient and a bit imposing.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
Amazing how much the local and state government benefits from the taxes on this, yet provides very few services in return.
Have you ever been to Cupertino and experienced that city, or are you just talking out of your rear?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bbeagle Avatar
175 months ago
Can't Apple just release the campus already...

We know campus 1.0 will be broken, so if I was an Apple employee, I'd wait for campus 1.1 before moving in.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spyguy10709 Avatar
175 months ago
Jobs - always a good thing.
Steve or otherwise!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
6 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
8 hours ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
1 day ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
1 day ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
1 day ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
2 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
2 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
2 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
2 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
2 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
2 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
2 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
2 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
2 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
2 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
2 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
2 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
3 days ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
3 days ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
3 days ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
3 days ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
3 days ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
3 days ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
3 days ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
3 days ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
3 days ago
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
3 days ago